Comments on: Hard Drive Recovery Myths Debunked http://www.dtidata.com/resourcecenter/2009/03/19/hard-drive-recovery-myths-debunked/ Hard drive recovery data recovery resource center with how to guides for windows RAID Snap server file system repair NTFS partition recovery tools tips and tricks to recover data Fri, 16 Jul 2010 01:02:54 -0400 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Michael Stankard http://www.dtidata.com/resourcecenter/2009/03/19/hard-drive-recovery-myths-debunked/#comment-6980 Michael Stankard Mon, 15 Jun 2009 14:59:44 +0000 http://www.dtidata.com/resourcecenter/?p=926#comment-6980 Mike, I don't know about a spreadsheet, but the drive specs are here <a href="http://www.dtidata.com/drive_specs.asp">http://www.dtidata.com/drive_specs.asp</a> Mike, I don’t know about a spreadsheet, but the drive specs are here
http://www.dtidata.com/drive_specs.asp

]]> By: Mike Stein http://www.dtidata.com/resourcecenter/2009/03/19/hard-drive-recovery-myths-debunked/#comment-6975 Mike Stein Fri, 12 Jun 2009 06:30:37 +0000 http://www.dtidata.com/resourcecenter/?p=926#comment-6975 Great site! I've spent the odd hour or so soaking up info. However... I have a terrific spreadsheet here which I'm pretty sure came from you, listing specs for HDs from manufacturers whose names start with m-n; I was hoping to find a couple more, but although I can find the page listing the manufacturers there don't seem to be any links ;-( http://www.dtidata.com/resourcecenter/hard-drive-specifications/ Are these spreadsheets still available, and if so, how/where? Thanks again, and thanks in advance! mike Great site! I’ve spent the odd hour or so soaking up info.
However…

I have a terrific spreadsheet here which I’m pretty sure came from you, listing specs for HDs from manufacturers whose names start with m-n; I was hoping to find a couple more, but although I can find the page listing the manufacturers there don’t seem to be any links ;-(

http://www.dtidata.com/resourcecenter/hard-drive-specifications/

Are these spreadsheets still available, and if so, how/where?

Thanks again, and thanks in advance!

mike

]]> By: Joe Whitehead http://www.dtidata.com/resourcecenter/2009/03/19/hard-drive-recovery-myths-debunked/#comment-6911 Joe Whitehead Sun, 24 May 2009 05:45:55 +0000 http://www.dtidata.com/resourcecenter/?p=926#comment-6911 When you said OS, did you mean Microsoft Windows? It's strange that an OEM vendor refuses to send you a new recovery CD. If you must have Windows, and want to be legal, you'll need to get ahold of an OEM disk for your system's OS somehow. Usually, you can just purchase a (cheap) spare reinstallation CD from the company that sold the system. HP and Dell both quoted me about $25 including shipping for the complete disk sets that came with some laptops the owners misplaced. It's legal because Microsoft had them make the disks useless on the wrong PC. For example, if you have an HP and try to use the Dell disk, it won't work. However, if you buy 30 identical laptops all with the same OS, than you really only need to bring out 1 of your CDs to reinstall the OS on any of them, so long as they all had the same OS installed. The OEM disks have an embedded license key that is valid for all of that line of machine. It is NOT the same as the one on the back of your machine! (Check out the RULegit site for more details on OEM BIOS locking) If you don't have the money for a new OS CD and Acer won't play ball, then you can get Kubuntu or Ubuntu for free that for most users look and work a lot like Windows. They have forums to search for answers or ask new questions on. BTW, if you go this route, make sure that you get 8.10 and not 8.04 - it had some issues that were fixed. For web surfing and office work, these two free OSes come with everything you need. If you must use Microsoft Windows and Office due to some job requirement, then it's sad but you can't take advantage of them. I'd still try them out on a spare drive. :) Next time you buy a computer from someone like Acer or Dell, make sure to burn the recovery DVDs using their included software, assuming they didn't come with a physical recovery CD/DVD. Many companies don't include them and somehow users never get around to creating them themselves. When the hard drive fails, of course the copy stored in the hidden partition becomes useless. D'oh! What's funny is that you can save the hidden partition to a disk image on a DVD and just change it into a regular 1 to store files on, once you know you won't need it. The bad part is when you make the recovery disks and than forget to make backups... and they get scratched or lost. Wasn't there an article on Boot/swap/recovery/diagnostic/media/etc. partitions added by companies like Dell on this site? They often hide the recovery and media player partitions on laptops and then people wonder why a drive lost 40% of it's capacity. It's usually near the top of the FAQ. ;) When you said OS, did you mean Microsoft Windows? It’s strange that an OEM vendor refuses to send you a new recovery CD. If you must have Windows, and want to be legal, you’ll need to get ahold of an OEM disk for your system’s OS somehow. Usually, you can just purchase a (cheap) spare reinstallation CD from the company that sold the system. HP and Dell both quoted me about $25 including shipping for the complete disk sets that came with some laptops the owners misplaced. It’s legal because Microsoft had them make the disks useless on the wrong PC. For example, if you have an HP and try to use the Dell disk, it won’t work. However, if you buy 30 identical laptops all with the same OS, than you really only need to bring out 1 of your CDs to reinstall the OS on any of them, so long as they all had the same OS installed. The OEM disks have an embedded license key that is valid for all of that line of machine. It is NOT the same as the one on the back of your machine! (Check out the RULegit site for more details on OEM BIOS locking)

If you don’t have the money for a new OS CD and Acer won’t play ball, then you can get Kubuntu or Ubuntu for free that for most users look and work a lot like Windows. They have forums to search for answers or ask new questions on. BTW, if you go this route, make sure that you get 8.10 and not 8.04 – it had some issues that were fixed. For web surfing and office work, these two free OSes come with everything you need. If you must use Microsoft Windows and Office due to some job requirement, then it’s sad but you can’t take advantage of them. I’d still try them out on a spare drive. :)

Next time you buy a computer from someone like Acer or Dell, make sure to burn the recovery DVDs using their included software, assuming they didn’t come with a physical recovery CD/DVD. Many companies don’t include them and somehow users never get around to creating them themselves. When the hard drive fails, of course the copy stored in the hidden partition becomes useless. D’oh! What’s funny is that you can save the hidden partition to a disk image on a DVD and just change it into a regular 1 to store files on, once you know you won’t need it. The bad part is when you make the recovery disks and than forget to make backups… and they get scratched or lost. Wasn’t there an article on Boot/swap/recovery/diagnostic/media/etc. partitions added by companies like Dell on this site? They often hide the recovery and media player partitions on laptops and then people wonder why a drive lost 40% of it’s capacity. It’s usually near the top of the FAQ. ;)

]]> By: Catherine Burgin http://www.dtidata.com/resourcecenter/2009/03/19/hard-drive-recovery-myths-debunked/#comment-6897 Catherine Burgin Tue, 19 May 2009 03:02:16 +0000 http://www.dtidata.com/resourcecenter/?p=926#comment-6897 I am so frustrated. I kept getting the message PXE-E61: Media test failure, check cable. Reboot and Select proper Boot device or insert Boot Media in selected Boot device and press key_ Well I looked up all the info on the internet about this problem and got software to reboot my computer. The software kept telling me that they could not read my hard drive. I changed the Bio's to start with the Cdrom first and no change. So I bought a new hard drive and this is what is making me mad. My computer is less than two years old and now I have to buy a new hard drive and operating system. Why can't Acer give me the operating System for my new hard drive? I just can't affort a new OS. Do you know how I can get one for my new hard drive without paying so much? Thanks. I am so frustrated. I kept getting the message

PXE-E61: Media test failure, check cable.

Reboot and Select proper Boot device
or insert Boot Media in selected Boot device and press key_

Well I looked up all the info on the internet about this problem and got software to reboot my computer. The software kept telling me that they could not read my hard drive. I changed the Bio’s to start with the Cdrom first and no change. So I bought a new hard drive and this is what is making me mad.
My computer is less than two years old and now I have to buy a new hard drive and operating system. Why can’t Acer give me the operating System for my new hard drive?

I just can’t affort a new OS. Do you know how I can get one for my new hard drive without paying so much?

Thanks.

]]>